Artificial limb.



L. C. LAWRENCE.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.v

APPLICATION FILED MAY I, 191s.

ARHHCIAL 11MB. APPLICATION. FILED MAY l. 1916.

11116111611 Jan. 16, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

au/'5 C.' Lau/rence,

L. C. LAWRENCE ARTIFICIAL LIMB. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1915-.

To all iti/1,0m t may com/'cra UNiTED sTATEs PATENT oEEoE.

LOUIS C. LAWRENCE, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. i

.ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

lic it known that 1,*Loins C. lifnv'nnxoii, a citixcn o'l the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State o-l New York, have invented certain new and useinl Improvements in Artificial Limbs; and l do hereby declare the t'ollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description otl the invention, sueh as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to artificial limbs, and more particularly tothat type wherein the parts forming the limb mayl be adjustably secured 'together to permit ay limb otI standard dimensions being adjustable within a wide range ot sizes. l

An object ot' this invention is to provide an improved means tor ioi'ining sections 'ot' an artificial limb ot a plurality ot plates ,which are shaped to simulate the general configuration ot' a limb and these sections are adjustably secured to each other to permit an adjustment thereof.V

A further object ot this invention is thc provision of an improved typeotl joint Jfor leg sections in which the parts constituting said joint ai'e adjustablyv secured to each other.

Further objects will be apparent troni the following specification, appended claims, and drawings` in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an artificial leg constructed'in accordance with this inventi0n,.l" ig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough, Fig. 3 is a similar view across the knee, Fig. 4 isa sectional view through the ankle, 5 is a .side elevation showing the knee bent, Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view as on line "77 of Fig. (i, and Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview o t a modification.'

This invention provides for a simple construction of an artificial limb wherein, stand` ard parts may be used to `torm l-iiiibs of ditterent proportions, and certain of said parts being interchangeable in modified toi-ms.

Referring to the drawings. 10 indicates a toot, having' a toe section 11. hingedly secured thereto as at 12 and this foot section is recessed 'as at 13 to receive the knuckles 14 of an ankle section in which the pintle 15 is disposed. This pintle passes through the eye-bolt 16 which passes through, the toot section to receive the washer 17 and nut 18 in the socket 19.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' rection.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,813.

The ankle section is formed of the side plates 20 and 21, and the front and rear plates 22 and 23 plates terminate at their lower edges in the knuckles 14'. These, side plates are enlarged respectively, and the side f at the knuckles and the pintle 15 passes Y through one otl the knuckles freely, but has threaded engagement with the other, so that the side plates may be diawii together when desired, and to cause outward movement ot said plates, a screw 24 is provided which has threaded engagement with one' side plate andv bears against the other side plate to extend the plates when rotated in one di- 'lhe hack plate ot the ankle section has a socket 25 formed therein in which a compression spring 2G is placed to bear between the end oi the 'socket and the foot section, and a tension 'cord 27 is placed nside ot this spring. This cord has one end secured by the pin 28 bearing on the outer .tace ot the socket, and by the pin 29 set in the. socket 30 l'ormed inthe foot section. 'Ihe sockets 10 and 30 are covered by the pad 31 secured to the heel otthe toot seetion.

'Ihe ankle section is adjustably secured to ay leg section comprising the side plates 32 and and the trout and rear plates 34 and respectiveh7 by having the upper ends et the plates ot the ankle, sections provided with the slots 3G. in which screws 37, which pass through the slots 3S in the leg sections pass. The screws 37 serve as temporary supports and to attord a `permanent lock, the threaded holes 39 are, torincd in the ankle sections to receive screws 40 which may pass through any ot' the series ot holes 41 formed in the leg sections.. The side plates and front'and back plates aie secured together by the. screws 42. which pass through the slots 43 and into the threaded holes 44, and by the permanent lock comprising the screws 45 which may pass through any of the holes 46 when they coincide with either oi" the; holes 47. The general locking means is repeated where desired. The Side plates have the braces 48 secured thereto as by rivets or otherwise, and these stems terminate in the heads 49, which are formed to receive the heads of sleeves 50 and .51,7of which, the

sleeve 51 is internally hreaded to receive j the threaded portion of a pintle 52. The.

the sleeves 50 and 51. The sleeves 50 and 51 are carried in fittings 54 and 55 which are carried by side plates 56 and 57 of a knee section, and these fittings also support a screw 58 which is carried in a threaded socket of the fitting 54; and adapted to bear against the inner face of the fitting By the use of the screws 52 and 58, it is seen that the side plates 56 and 57 may be varied in position with respect to each other, as one' of these screws contracts the general dimension of the knee, while the other extends it.

The side plates of the knee also carry the front and back plates 59 and 60 by the fastening means already described, and of these two plates, the rear plate has a fitting 61 secured therein, which is grooved on the outer face as at 62, to receive a tension cord 68, which passes into the leg section where it is attached to a block 64 in the leg section. This block is held to the back plate of the leg section, and it passes through a guard 65 which is also attached to the back plate as shown in Fig. 8.

The fitting 61 supports an arm 66 which terminates in a ball 67 to form a ball and socket joint with a socket formed in the end of a'bar 68. A conipression spring 69 is coiled about the stem 70 of the bar 68, and this spring passes into a guard 71 which may ve its lower end rounded to bear in the capped face 72 on the block 64. It is evident how the compression spring and tension coi-d act when the leg is worn as the v permit the knee being bent and held partially in bent position and they cushion the action of the limb in being bent from one position to the other.

The knee sections are further secured to thigh sections 73, 74, 75 and 76 as by the screw and slot connections, and are also provided with the permanent locks as above described. These thigh sections support a pad 77 which is secured to the outer faces of the upper edges thereof, and this pad passes downwardly in these thigh sections. This pad may be made of sections of which, the larger ones may be of sizes to properly form a pad in the smallest formation of the thigh. and these larger sections will bel moved apart to receive the inserts 78 therebetween in the larger sizes of the thigh section. `The inserts 78 will vary in the different sizes of the limb. l i

` Fig. 8 shows the pad formed on the leg or c'alf section, and its application is similar to that'described above.

The foot and ankle sections ma have a buffer 79 placed therebetween as shown in Fig. 4 to cushion the action between the foot and ankle sections.

It is thought that the foregoing description clearly sets forth the adjustability and niodc of application of this invention, and that further description is unnecessary.

BEST AvAiLAeLE ce 2. An artificial limb of the class del scribed comprising an adjustable joint section. said joint section being formed of a plurality of overlapping shaped plates, said plates being adjustably secured lto each other for lateral adjustment, a pintle carried b v one of said plates, having threaded engagement with another of said plates to draw said plates together, and a threaded stein carried b v one of the plates engaging the opposite plate to separate said plates and enlarge the general dimensions of said joint section.

3. An artificial limb of the class described comj'irising a foot, an ankle section and a leg section. said foot section having its upper face recessed to receive fastening A means carried by the ankle section, said ankle and leg sections comprising complemental sections having their edges overlapping, and fastening means carried by said sections to hold said sections in any desired relation.

4. An artificial limb of the class described comprising a foot, an ankle section and leg section, said foot having its upper face recessed to receive fastening means, an eye-bolt carried by said foot, said ankle secti'on comprising four complemental sheet metal sections fitted to each other, side plates of said ankle section. bearings formed on the lower ends of said side plates, said leg sec.- tion comprising four complemental sheet metal sections fitted to have their edges overlapping, said leg sections having their lower ends slotted to permit a vertical adjustment over said ankle sections, fastening means for the sections of said legr and ankle portions and said le;r sections having transverse slots formed therein to receive fastening means carried b v some of said sections for lateral adjustment of said plates comprising said leg section with respect to each other.

5. .\n artificial limb of the class de- '.scribed comprising a foot, an ankle section and a leg section. said foot having its upper face recessed to receive fastening means, an eyebolt carried by said foot, said ankle section coniprien vfour fittedl sheet metal sections having t eir edges overlapping, the

and back plates'being adjustably connected thereto, bearings formed on the lower ends of said side plates to rest in the recessed portions of said foot and fastening means carried bythe several sections to adjustably secure them to each other. .A

v6. An artificial .limb of the class described -comprising ay leg section of four fitted sheet metal sections having their edges overlapping, some of the plates comprising theV leg section having transverse slots vformed therein, fastening means carried by others of said plates passing through said transverse slots, said plates having their transverse slots therein also having a plurality of individual holes formed therein, detachable fastening means passing through somel of said individual holes into theQunderlying portions of others of said plates, a back plate included in said le section, ar'block secured to the inside of four overlappingshaped plates, 'a back in Asaid back plate, a knee sectioncomprising said knee section', said back plate being rei cessed to 'receive a tension cord, .a tensionA cord in said recess having its lower end encircle the` block secured to the back section of the leg, a bracket secured in said back plate, said bracket having a depending head, a locking means in bearing relation between said depending head and the block secured to the back of the leg section, said locking means comprising a recessed block to engage the depending head, a stem y formed on said block, a compression spring coiled about said Stem, a tube to receive said compression spring and said tube having a bearing at its lower end on the block secured to the back plate of the leg section.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Louis o. LAWRENCE.

NVitnesses: A

A. BERLAU,

JOHN J. ERWIN. 

